Joe Bill Dryden was a graduate of the US Air Force Academy, Class of '62. After retiring from the Air Force, Joe Bill became an experimental test pilot for General Dynamics. His experience with the F-16 began when he was selected to represent Tactical Air Command as one of the original members of the YF-16/YF-17 Lightweight Fighter Joint Test Team. He subsequently flew and helped develop various combinations of F-16 airframe, engine, wing, flight control system, and avionics. Joe Bill died on 24 May 1993 when his F-16 crashed in North Central Texas during a company acceptance flight.

Volume 30, Number 1 issue (2015) marks the start of Code One Magazine’s thirtieth year of publication. Code One originated as a product support publication that covered the F-111 and F-16. Through the years, the scope of the magazine expanded beyond tactical aircraft to include air mobility, maritime patrol and reconnaissance, and cutting-edge air vehicles.

President Lyndon B. Johnson publicly announced the existence of the classified Lockheed SR-71 program in 1964. First flight of the SR-71 would come on 22 December 1964. Operational aircraft deliveries began in 1966. Throughout its career, the SR-71, unofficially, universally known as Blackbird, remained the world's fastest and highest-flying operational aircraft. The US Air Force terminated the program in January 1990, closing out a twenty-four year operational career. The Blackbird program was briefly revived in 1997 and a small number of training flights were made, but funding was zeroed out. The program officially ended in 1999.

Every U-2 flight requires a lot of behind the scenes work. An assortment of engineers, technicians, and flight line personnel line up to support every mission. The high altitudes at which the Dragon Lady operates, however, create a unique set of responsibilities for ground support personnel. Many of these responsibilities fall on the shoulders of life support technicians.

The U-2 gathers imagery in a number of ways, including through digital imagery, radar imagery, and traditional wet-processed film. Similarly the U-2 collects signals intelligence in various frequency bands with a variety of sensors. Datalinks on the aircraft allow for immediate transmission of sensor data. The U-2 carries an electronic countermeasure system for self-defense.